Pyrrhus

Pyrrhus, in Greek legend

Pyrrhus, in Greek legend: see Neoptolemus.

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Pyrrhus, Molossian king of Epirus

Pyrrhus (pĭr`əs), c.318–272 B.C., Molossian king of Epirus. He fought at Ipsus in Asia Minor in the service of Demetrius Poliorcetes (later Demetrius I) of Macedon, and by the aid of Ptolemy I he became (297 B.C.) joint king of Epirus with Neoptolemus. He removed (295) Neoptolemus from the throne, but before his kingdom was consolidated he went to war with Demetrius (291–286); Pyrrhus obtained half of Macedonia and Thessaly but was driven back (c.286) by Lysimachus. He then went to S Italy with a large force to aid the Tarentines and defeated (280) the Romans at Heraclea. In the same year Pyrrhus' peace proposals were rejected by the Romans. In 279 he again defeated the Romans at Asculum in Apulia. His heavy losses caused him to declare, "one more such victory and I am lost," thus the origin of the term "Pyrrhic victory." At Beneventum (now Benevento) he was barely defeated (275) by the Romans. He again attempted to conquer Macedonia, defeating (273) Antigonus II. Turning his attention suddenly to the Peloponnesus, he failed to take Sparta by siege. He then fled to Argos, where he was killed by a mob in the street. He accomplished nothing beyond bringing Epirus to ruin.

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Pyrrhus

(born 319—died 272 BC, Argos, Argolis) King of Hellenistic Epirus. After being allied to Demetrius and taken hostage, he was befriended by Ptolemy I Soter and restored to his kingdom. In 281 he was asked for help against Rome by the Greek enclave of Tarentum (Taranto) and won costly victories at Heraclea and Ausculum. Crossing to Sicily, he conquered most of the Punic territory, but the Greek Sicilians revolted against his despotism. He suffered serious losses on his return to Italy (275) but defeated Antigonus II Gonatas in Macedonia (274) and became king there. He died in a skirmish in Argos trying to help Sparta. His costly victories gave rise to the term “Pyrrhic victory.”

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Pyrrhus

319--272 bc, king of Epirus (306--272). He invaded Italy but was ultimately defeated by the Romans (275 bc)

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Pyrrhus 

Born 319 B.C.; died 273 B.C. King of Epirus from 307 to 302 and 296 to 273 B.C. Military leader of the Hellenistic age.

In 302 B.C., after being deprived of power as a result of an uprising by the local tribes of Molossians, Pyrrhus went to Demetrius I Poliorcetes and fought at his side in 301. In 296, after seizing power again in Epirus, he annexed the islands of Corcyra (Corfu) and Leucas (Levkas), the provinces of Acarnania and Ambracia, and other territories in Greece. For seven months in 287, Pyrrhus held sway over Macedonia. In 280, during the war between the city of Tarentum and Rome, he sided with Tarentum in the battle of Heraclea in southern Italy. His army of mercenaries inflicted a defeat on the Romans. In 279, Pyrrhus again routed the Romans at the city of Ausculum but suffered enormous losses. It is from this event that the term “Pyrrhic victory” is derived.

In 278, in alliance with the Syracusans, Pyrrhus advanced against the Sicilian Carthaginians, who at the time were allies of Rome. However, because of the Sicilian population’s dissatisfaction with his requisitions policy, Pyrrhus was compelled to leave Syracuse. In 276 he returned to Italy. In 275, Pyrrhus’ army was completely routed by the Romans at Beneventum. Pyrrhus himself fled to Tarentum and then to Epirus.

REFERENCES

Hassel, U. Pyrrhus. Munich, 1947.
Nenci, G. Pirro. Turin, 1953.